Cigarette and safety match holder



. Dec.10,1946. ,QI'A ER 5 2,412,464

CIGARETTE AND SAFETY MATCH HOLDER Filed 'NOV. 6; 1944 56.4 INVENTOR.

MICHAEL Mn Y5? Afro/awn)" Patented Dec. 10, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE AND SAFETY MATCH HOLDER Michael Mayer, Cleveland, Ohio Application November 6, 1944, Serial No. 562,076

This invention relates to a holder for a package of cigarettes, the holder being adapted to be positioned on the steering column or on the gearshift column or other column of an automobile extending downwardly and forwardly with reference to the steering wheel. Associated with one or each side of the holder is a holder for a package of safety matches.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 486,771, filed May 13, 1943, now matured into Patent No. 2,369,364, the claims of my prior application being directed particularly to the holder for a package of safety matches.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a holder for a package of cigarettes which can be mounted on the steering or gearshift columns of an automobile and clamped thereto without requiring a special clamp or the making of any change in the clamping mechanism regardless of the diameter of the column to which the holder is applied.

The above and other objects are attained by the present invention which may be here briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth. in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a cigarette package holder and match holder embodying the pres ent invention applied to the steering column of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, with portions in elevation, approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with the package of cigarettes and the two packages of safety matches shown by dot-dash lines.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2 with the safety matches omitted altogether and showing the device applied to a much smaller column, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen that the holder consists of an inverted, U-shaped or channel-shaped body I 6 which. may be formed from any suitable material which has the necessary firmness and flexibility, such as, metal, plastic, cardboard, or still leather. The body ill has an opening H at the top 'so that a package of cigarettes may be inserted therein. The manner in which the package of cigarettes is supported at the lower end of the package will be explained presently. The lower ends l3 of the body l are curved on an arc of a circle and they partly en- 8 Claims. (Cl. 206-195) velop the column 14 regardless of the diameter of the column and are secured in position thereon by means of a clamp 15 which is considerably narrower than the body I!) and which passes through slots It in the body just above the lower arcuately-shaped ends [3 which envelop the column. The clamp 15 is adapted to be secured around the column M by a bolt or screw I! so as to securely or eifectively fasten the body l 0 to the column against movement thereon by vibration or otherwise.

The body it has provision on each side for securely holding a package of safety matches l8. This subject matter is claimed in my original application Serial No. 486,771, now Patent No. 2,369,364, issued February 13, 1945, but will be explained briefly below. Near the bottom of the body, each side is flanged outwardly and then a short distance below the outward flanging is flanged inwardly to form a square shoulder l9, and immediately below the square shoulder I9 there is provided a beveled shoulder 20, see Fig. 2, formed by flanging the body outwardly, the bevel extending beyond the square shoulder l9 as shown at 2| to a point where the lower arcuatelyshaped ends I3 extend about the column M. It is to be noted further that the upper and lower faces of each square shoulder I9 are removed for a distance slightly greater than the width of the package of safety matches l8 forming slots 22 while the outer face of the shoulder I9 is left intact forming an upright strap or bar 23 extending across or bridging the slots 22.

To insert a package of safety matches, the

) lower or striking part of the match package is inserted through the slots 22 until it strikes the beveled shoulder 20 and until the striking part i'fia extends below the strap 23, then the striking part i812 is lifted out beyond the strap 23 and the package of matches is pulled upwardly somewhat with the striking part l8a on the outer side of the strap23. The flap |8b of the match package is then inserted behind the free end of the. striking part [8a, the match package thus being normally closed.

It is to be understood that both sides of the body H] are similarly formed. The match package is used in a normal manner, the flap lBb being lifted, a match being detached, the edge of the flap being inserted behind the striking part l8a of the match package, which is now in front of the strap 23, and the match being struck on the striking part 18a.

The means provided on each side of the holder ID to insert and to support a package of safety matches may be precisely like that disclosed in my prior application, however, a slight modification is preferred which is as follows: Instead of punching out the elongated slots on the upper and lower sides of the shoulder I9 to form the strap 23, I prefer to punch out the lower wall but the upper wall is not punched out entirely. This wall may be out along the upper and outer sides of the shoulder I9 and then the upper wall 24 between the cut portions is bent downwardly so that there is practically a continuous strip of metal or wall from the side of the holder I9 through the shoulder and down to the outwardly inclined portions 20, see Figs. 2 and 3. These downwardly extending portions or lips 24 form a continuation of the sides proper of the holder.

It will be noted that when the package I2 of cigarettes is placed in the opening I I of the body l0, its lower end rests upon the upper part of the clamp I5 or partly on the clamp and partly on the column I4. The column I4 represents the steering column which is the largest column to which the holder is to be applied but as stated before there might be need of applying it to a.

smaller column, such as the gearshift column 25, which might be located above or on either side of the steering column I4. Regardless of the diameter of the column to Which the holder is applied, the same clamp can be utilized. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the arcuately-shaped lower ends I3 of the holder I envelop the smaller column 25 to a greater extent than the larger column I4 and thei lower and free ends then come far closer together than when the holder is applied to the column I 4. Additionally the clamp I5 is contracted to a greater extent than when the holder is applied to a larger column, as will be seen by comparing Figs. 2 and 3. The arcuately shaped lower ends I3 of the holder have their curvature decreased when applied to a smaller column over the larger curvature thereof when applied to a larger column, as will be seen by a comparison of Fig. 3 with Fig. 2. This change in curvature of the arcuatelyshaped lower ends I3 is produced by the clamping action of the clamp I5. As the arc-shaped lower ends I3 are contracted by the action of the clamp, the sides proper of the cigarette holder body are drawn inwardly from substantially the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position substantially in parallel with the sides of the package of cigarettes I2, as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus it will be seen that the object of the invention stated in the early part of the specification is attained very efiectively since the holder is adapted to be applied to a column of any diameter without requiring a special clamp for each size of column but merely by the adjustment of the clamping member I5 and of the arcshaped lower ends I3 of the holder as well as adjustment in the sides of the holder.

I do not desire to be confined to the precise details shown but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided at the top with an opening adapted to receive a package of cigarettes and at the bottom with a plurality of openings, said holder having at the bottom a pair of arcuately-shaped portions adapted to envelop a steering column or the like of an automobile, and a clamp extending through .4 said openings in the lower portions of the holder and adapted to press the arcuately-shaped portions against the column.

2. A holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided at the top with an opening adapted to receive a package of cigarettes and at the bottom with a pair of openings, said holder having at the bottom a pair of arcuately-shaped portions adapted to envelop a steering column or the like, and a clamp extending through said pair of openings in the lower ends of said holder and serving to clamp said arcuately-shaped lower ends firmly against the column, said clamp being adapted to extend around the upper part of the column and around the lower part thereof to an extent depending on the size of the column.

3. A holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided at the top with an opening adapted to receive a package of cigarettes and at the bottom with a plurality of openings, said holder having at the bottom a pair of arcuately-shaped portions adapted to envelop a steering column or the like of an automobile, and a clamp extending through said openings in the lower portions of the holder and adapted to press the arcuatelyshaped portions against the column, said clamp having provision for clamping the arcuatelyshaped lower ends of said holder against a large or small column and when applied to a relatively small column said arcuately-shaped portions and the sides of the holder more closely approach each other than when the holder is applied to a relatively large column.

4. In combination with a column of an automobile extending downwardly in the vicinity of a steering wheel, a holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided with an opening at the top for a package of cigarettes, said member being provided at its lower ends with arcuately-shaped portions adapted to encircle columns of different sizes, said member having openings immediately above the arcuately-shaped portions, and a clamp extending through said openings, said clamp having means by which the arcuately-shaped portions of said member may be clamped against a steering column.

5. In combination with a steering column or the like of an automobile, a holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U- shaped member provided at its top with an opening for a package of cigarettes, said member being provided adjacent to its lower ends with outwardly and then downwardly sloping portions and having at its extreme lower ends a pair of arcuately-shaped clamping portions, and a clamp adapted to clamp the arcuately-shaped portions onto columns of difierent sizes, said member having a pair of openings through which the parts of said clamp immediately above said arcuately-shaped portions extend whereby the clamp forms a support for the lower end of the package of cigarettes.

6. In combination with a column of an automobile extending downwardly in the vicinity of a steering wheel, a holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided with an opening at the top adapted to receive a package of cigarettes, said member being provided at its lower ends with arcuatelyshaped portions adapted to encircle columns of different size, said member having openings immediately above the arcuately-shaped portions, and a clamp extending through said openings, said clamp having means for contracting said arcuately-shaped portions to clamp the same to columns of different sizes.

7. A holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided at its top with an opening adapted to receive a package of cigarettes, said member having at its lower ends an arcuateiy-shaped portion adapted to engage a steering column or the like of an automobile and a plurality of openings immediately above the arcuately-shaped portions, a strap or member extending lengthwise of said holder adjacent to one of the lower ends thereof and spaced outwardly thereof adapted to hold a package of matches, and a clamp extending through said openings in the lower portions of said member and adapted to press said arcuately-shaped portions against said column.

8. A holder for a package of cigarettes comprising an inverted, U-shaped member provided at its top with an opening adapted to receive a package of cigarettes, said member having at its lower ends an arcuately-shaped portion adapted to engage a steering column or the like of an automobile and a plurality of openings immediately above the arcuately-shaped portions, a strap or member extending lengthwise of said holder adjacent to one of the lower ends thereof and spaced outwardly thereof adapted to hold a package of matches, said member having an outwardly inclined shoulder underneathsaid strap adapted to hold said package in position, and a clamp extending through saidopenings in the lower portions of said member and adapted to press said arcuately-shaped portions against said column.

MICHAEL 

